Coming to Terms
by Littlest Cinnaminion
Summary: Name change from Guilt Epiphany and Love. "You know how when you supposedly love someone, everything around you fades and its only you and the person? Same goes for hating them. Only you feel pretty violent and you see red, too." Fax, of course in the end
1. Temper, temper

**_Author's note: You know exactly what I want. I would like an endless supply of chocolate, a home stereo, to have Nudge be my sister... But in this case, though I would love to, I don't own Max, Fang, Iggy, Nudge, Gazzy, or Angel. Waaaahhhh! _(has small emotional breakdown)_ anyways on with the story!!!!!_**

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Max's POV

A tear slid my cheek as I soared through the night sky. I couldn't care less about the rest of the world right now. I just wanted to keep going and never turn back to go "home". Where Fang was.

_You know he didn't mean it_. _Go back and talk to him_, the voice said.

_NO, he did. And STAY OUT OF_ _THIS_, I thought back. I just couldn't bother to see Fang's face right now. Not after what he had done to me. And the smile he gave afterwards. I kept shooting forward as the rain poured down and soaked my hair.

He had hurt me. We had gotten into one little argument and wasn't it him that had said that "we just do it for no reason"? But apparently tonight that rule hadn't applied. We had been arguing about how to tell Nudge that she couldn't stay with Ricco forever because we had just narrowly escaped death by cheetah hybrids. That meant that Itex was tracking us and we had to move fast. Big emphasis on FAST.

But Fang, Mr. Most Times Instant Logic, decided to stay on Nudge's side, saying that we should stay here and not try to uproot her. I told him that that was really stupid, because if we did, Itex would destroy us by the end of the week. The pressure in the room kept rising until we were screaming at the tops of our lungs. Finally he got so angry that he lunged at me and slapped me across the face. I stood there, appalled at what had just happened, while as I stared at him, a huge smile grew across his face. Immediately, I ran out and lunged myself into the air. The rain had begun to pour but I couldn't feel anything but the sting of his smack because being a bird-kid made him unbelievably strong.

The voice tried again, _You know he didn't mean to_.

_WHAT DID I TELL YOU TO DO_, was the only thing that I yelled in my mind as I kept going at hyper speed, hating Fang and listening to the wind whistle through my ears.

At home

What did I just do? …, thought Fang as he stood staring out the window. Max had been gone for three hours now and after the first 5 minutes of her being gone, the full force of what he had just done hit him. He had just ruined any chance of ever being able to even look at Max ever again, so he couldn't even tell her how he felt.

Worse, it was her birthday in three days. A day he had never forgotten and the day he had planned to tell her he loved her in private. He could kiss all of that goodbye now. She would hate him for life and the pain of what he had just done and the anxiety of not knowing if she liked him back would have killed him.

_Jeez Fang, you're such a screw-up_, was the only thought that was in his mind and the hurt in that one moment was what had killed him. But now that pain turned to worry as he didn't see her come

back. The moon was shining and she still hadn't come back. After a few moments of half expecting Max to come back, he was so overcome by worry that he took off into the night… and the oncoming typhoon.

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I want at least 15 reviews before I even type a word of the next chappie. Yes, I am holding the chapters hostage.

Sincerely,

"I'm a little teapot short and stout--"

"I swear, Lizzie if you don't stop singing that I will suck you into a freaking vacuum!"

"Here is my handle.. here.. is my... AAAAAAHHHH!!!!"

WOOSH!!

"Told you. Now moving onto the kitchen..."

a.k.a jamminangelz31


	2. Wake up calls and guilt

**_I know! I am alive!! Isn't it wonderful?! You had better say yes. - Snarls menacingly-. I still don't own it! Seriously, so I look like a 60 year old MAN to you?! I am a freaking girl!!_**

**_Now that that's settled, ON with the story!!_**

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'Damn it! What the hell was I thinking? She hates me. Dear God, probably she hates me.' I said as I flew through the morning sky, still looking dark as the clouds prepared to battle with the rain. My jet black feathers quivered lightly as I attempted to find Max. Emphasis on attempted.

'_God I wish I hadn't. She'll kill me for this. All I said was that Nudge shouldn't have to break it off with her new boyfriend, Ricco. And that the kids deserved a break and not run from some new type of hybrid that Itex had randomly cooked up. And then the fighting escalated. And now here I am with a damn guilty conscience and Max nowhere to be found.'_ I rambled on in my head. I swooped down to a lower altitude and tried to scan the forest, thinking Max must have landed at some time to sleep.

A few more miles, and I had landed and rested against a tree. I ran a hand through my hair, sighing. Then I heard a slight shuffling behind me. I whipped around and was on the other side of my clearing in one fluid motion. After the rustling stopped, a small head poked out.

_Angel. _I thought and scanned her face. Her eyes were red and puffy and her hair was matted against her face. She quietly walked over and collapsed into my shirt crying once again. As I held her through her sobs I could make this much out:

"I hate it when you two fight. You're supposed to be our parents and help raise us, not hurt each others feelings. Everyone hates it, so stop it. Nudge gets quiet, Gazzy locks himself in his room, and Iggy detaches himself from everyone. Please…" And the tears blocked out everything else. I felt horrible, and I sat on the ground with a now sleeping Angel in my arms. I stroked her hair and thought to myself, "_What have we done…"_

--Max's POV—

"He's angry at me." I murmured quietly to myself as I sat on my branch in the middle of a gigantic oak tree. "My life would be better if I just disappeared. I am ruining it for the kids, and Fang has proven than to me. Guess all I needed was a wake up call."

I shook my head. "Get a grip Maximum! You're supposed to be angry at him! Not thinking about how he's right. He hit you for Pete's sake!" **_(a.n. Still no idea who the hell Pete is. I have met how many people and not one of them is named Pete! Anyways...)_**

And yet I couldn't bring myself to rid myself of all pictures of him in my mind. Fang smiling, Fang laughing, Fang scowling, Fang fighting, Fang looking like he was worrying, Fang flying, Fang angry…

I stood up and kicked the tree. "I can't even bring myself to hate him, damn it. What the freak is wrong with me?!" At this wonderful moment, the Voice decided to kick in.

Maximum, you can't hate what's part of you. And you can't hate what you love., were the wonderful words of wisdom that I received.

_Sorry to relay this to you, Voice, but I don't love him, and he isn't part of me._ I snapped back. Well as much as you can snap back when having a conversation in your head.

I swear I heard him sigh. Maximum, you'll see what I mean soon. And with that I felt the presence leave my consciousness.

Not even trying to talk back, seeing as it would not work, I slouched against the tree, and looked up at the stars before the river's whisper softly lulled me to sleep.

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**_Yes, I hope you know the drill. 5 reviews then I update. Or I bludgen someone with a spoon,_**

**_Sincerely,_**

**_"On guard, Ava!"_**

**_"On guard, Kim!" _**

**_--Begin the celery stick/ carrot stick sword fighting scene--_**

**_"Wait!" _**

**_"What Ava?!"_**

**_"My celery broke in half!" _**

**_-takes giant bite- _**

**_"That's better!"_**

**_a.k.a. jamminangelz31_**


	3. Balance it out

**_Ok, so I finished this chapter and I'm most likely going to be doing more updates on this story than "Ah denial! What a wonderful thing" But that's not the point. The point is that James Patterson is a big fat old wrinkly meanie who won't let me own Maximum Ride. POOO TO YOU!!_**

_**Voice is in **italics_

**_Max's thoughts are in _bold**

**_And on with the story!!_**

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"I am not supposed to think about him, yet here I am." I grumbled almost as lowly as the supposedly daytime sky.

"_Max, it makes no sense to fight him. He's part of you, your part of him."_ Was the Voice's great input.

"**I'm not part of him, he's not part of me." **I snapped back as the wind sang its daily tune, this time only louder. The Voice sighed.

"_Maximum, why do you think Fang's living?"_ This threw me off guard. **"What are you getting at?"**

"_Just answer the question Maximum." _

I huffed and nearly snarled, then thought about the question's answer. **"Because he fights."**

"_Yes, Maximum, and because he's afraid."_ I squinted my eyes, trying to contemplate what the Voice was saying. **"What do you mean afraid?" **

"_Maximum, he's worried that if he dies, something horrible will happen to you. He fears for you Maximum, as you fear for him too on a subconscious level."_

I sincerely think that the Voice has lost its mind. If it ever had one. **Umm, voice, what are you trying to say? That I'm afraid for him? Please. He's a big boy and can take care of himself.**

The voice sighed mentally. _You two were tested on to balance each other out. Max, they made you for each other, to help guide you and keep you stable._

**So all this time, Fang was there to help me from going insane?**

_Yes, but there's more to it than that. You two have a sort of connection to each other that probably grew from this. That's how Fang can 'read you so well'. He can feel your emotions as you feel his. You can almost read each other's minds. That was what I was trying to tell you before you flew off into the sunset. He's already deep in guilt without you there and you cannot get him out of your head. You're connected._

I landed in a cave, getting shelter from the near oncoming rain. **So I can feel him, and he can feel me.**

I could almost feel the voice nod. I was almost afraid to ask the next question. **What is he feeling now?**

_He's sorry, and feels guilty, and lonely and depressed. He knows that he shouldn't have hit you, but thinks that you hate him and never want to see his face again. _

I felt the emotions flood over me, and then sighed. "I really can't stay angry at the jackass, no matter how much of a jackass he may be. So I forgive you Fang."

And that's when the sky opened up and began to weep. The thunder crashed, the lightening hurdled acroos the sky almost like a camera flash.

And somewhere out there I knew that Fang was in danger. I could almost feel it.

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**_ I know it's short, but I'll write a longer chapter soon. And I expect at least 5 reviews before I next update. I'm serious. So GIVE THEM TO ME OR I'LL HIT YOU OVER THE HEAD WITH A CAN OF BAKED PORK AND BEANS!! WITH A SPATULA!_**

**_Sincerely,_**

**_"Aa! Not the giant can of spray starch!"_**

**_"You cannot fight the starchy goodness Alex! Now come let me get your shirt!"_**

**_"Noooooo! Umm, oh LOOK! It's an Eagle!!"_**

**_"Where?!" --Thunk--_**

**_--Alex holds up spatula over Ava, and proceeds to eat the beans and pork-- "SUCCESS!!"_**

**_a.k.a. jamminangelz31_**


	4. Heartfelt confessions and obsessions

_****_

I've finally decided that I will finish this. Thank you to all the people who were kind enough to wait!!!

Oh, and I deleted the chapter that had the other "I'm sorry" letter on it. 

**_And now, ON WITH THE STORY!!_**

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_**--Fang POV--**_

"Angel! We need to find a place to camp for the night!" I shouted over the wind that was now whipping me in the face. As I looked back over my shoulder, I saw that she got the message, and we began to land. As soon as we hit the mountain cave, Angel collapsed. _Probably exhausted. _I thought, and crawled over to where she was sleeping. I took off my backpack and then got out a blanket for her. _I wish she hadn't come . Now Angel's in the line of danger too, and Max would kill me two more times for letting harm come her way._

I sighed. I had done it again. _She's already pissed at you. What else could you do to make this horrible situation even worse? You brought Angel. That will totally get her to take you back and forgive you._

I stretched my legs, and lifted Angel onto my lap. She instantly got closer, and I couldn't help the small smile that got over my face.

The fire warmed me somewhat, and I went back to thinking of Max. "Gosh, I'm a messed up idiot." I muttered to myself, and then a voice answered. "Yeah, you are."

I whipped my head around, and there was Max. Looking beautiful… and pissed at me.

Joy. Note sarcasm.

"Max. Listen I'm really sorry. I was way out of line. And I know I screwed up. Big time. And you are going to kill me since Angel tagged along. But that wasn't my fault." I was basically rambling as Max glared at me, so I eventually shut up.

We just looked at each other—well, I looked, she glared—for a long time. Eventually, she looked away out the cave opening and said, "Damn. I can't even hate you properly anymore."

I raised an eyebrow, wondering what the hell she was talking about.

She came over, and I instantly cringed backwards, waiting for her to punch me. Instead, she came over and sat next to me. I looked at her and blinked twice.

"So you're not going to castrate me?" I asked, softly, stroking Angel's hair to keep from giving away how terrified I was of Max at the moment. Everyone knew that when Max was quieter and calmer after a fight, the consequences were even worse for whoever had pissed her off. They usually ended up cowering in fear of her for the next several weeks.

"Nope." She answered.

"Yeah, you're right. That would be too tame." I muttered to myself.

She chuckled, and said, "Calm down. I'm not that bad. And I'm not going to kill you or injure you in any way at all."

"You sure?"

"Yep."

"Positive?"

"Uh-huh."

"Rea—"

"Fang, stop it."

"OK." I shut up, not wanting her to change her mind.

"I'm sorry, too, Fang." I looked at her in surprise. "I wanted to move us way to early. Nudge just put down roots. I can't tear her away from what normalcy she has now. Maybe I should just leave." I growled and turned her head towards me.

"Max, you are not leaving us. Gosh, you don't get it, don't you? The kids want you, Max. They need you. You're like the mother they never had. You keep them sane."

I don't know why, but Max's face dropped. "Not who I want to need me."

I got what she meant, and I took her face in my hands. "Then who do you want to need you Max?"

She exploded. "YOU, OK FANG?!" Then quieter. "I want to know I actually have some use to you. You could easily just lead the Flock on your own. You could leave. You don't have any reason to keep me around." I have no idea how we had gotten to this topic from me telling her that we couldn't uproot Nudge, but I just went with it.

"Max, gosh silly, beautiful Max." I chuckled, she glared, and I stopped laughing. "I probably need you the most. If you leave, I'm dead. Quite literally." I took a deep breath. _Here goes nothing. _"I love you, Max."

Everything was quiet, except for Angel's breathing. "You…love me?"

And then, the next thing I knew, she was kissing me. Or I was kissing her. Or maybe we were kissing each other. It was pretty hard to tell.

She broke away first, and I internally pouted at the loss of contact. _Finish what you started, woman! _There were tears in her eyes. "I never would have thought…" She trailed off, the tears spilling over, and her laughing.

"What are you? Blind? No, wait, that's Iggy." I said, chuckling. _I have chuckled more in the past fifteen minutes than I have in a span of 3 years. I think I'm high off of her._

She rested her head on my shoulder, and I put an arm around her as she crawled onto my lap and put Angel on her own. It was quiet, except for me kissing her neck every now and then. Just as I thought she was about to fall asleep, she asked quietly, "What do we do about Itex?"

I thought about it, and then half smiled. "We get Gazzy and Iggy to blow up anything that comes our way. And then we go with the flow."

Max was silent for a few minutes, then twisted her head and said, "I like the sound of that. No uprooting the kids."

"And no more fighting between us." I winced, remembering how I had hit her face without a bit of remorse. I was still trying to figure out why.

"Mmm. Fine by me." And with that, we fell asleep, not even caring that we were stuck in a cave in the middle of a monsoon. Just willing to go wherever fighting Itex took us.

On Max's lap, Angel smiled in her sleep.

_**--Max POV—**_

_See. I told you that it would work out._

_**My dear Voice! Do you sound…smug?**_

_No, but this shows that you are growing up Max and getting wiser. You aren't holding grudges against Fang, and you're letting him in. He's going to realize it too, soon, and you'll only get stronger because of it. I'm proud of you._

…_**Thanks.**_

_No problem, Maximum. No problem at all._

_

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**The end.**

**Review please!**

**Skittles31**

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